after it was called in the sixth on account of a downpour which had started as a drizzle in the second. The Centennials got their first win on April 30 behind the pitching of Petty, who allowed just one run on four hits and went three-for-three at the plate. The team left for a three-game road trip at Evansville after the opening series so as not to coincide with the opening of the Centennial Exposition on May 1. They returned on May 5 and fared much better in their second home series, as they took all three games from the visiting Cairo Egyptians. They would spend the next two weeks on the road. It was during this long road trip that financial problems and the question as to how long the team would remain in Nashville began to surface. Costly repairs to fix flood damage at Athletic Park and the cancellation of their preseason exhibition games were the first financial strains on the club. Cold and rainy weather resulted in poor attendance and low profits from ticket sales. With less money coming in and the normal expenditures of running a ball club, the team was "a few hundred dollars" in debt. On May 11, league president George Simons wrote to the sports editor of The Nashville American that he hoped Nashville to remain in the league, but that there were several prospective cities waiting to accept the team if their money troubles went unresolved. Simons went on to ask the editor to share the letter with local baseball supporters in hopes that they would put together an organization to back the team. The Centennials played well on the road, returning to Nashville on May 24 in second place holding on to a 13–10 (.565) record. They played an exhibition game that day against an amateur team in Princeton, Kentucky, winning, 10–3. While on the trip, Theodore Conover, who was on the Opening Day roster, made his first appearance of the season in a May 19 loss at Evansville. Willis left the team on May 20. Also, Lynch was disqualified from playing after the Texas League claimed to hold him in reserve. A second baseman by the name of Kyle was signed to take his place until the matter could be resolved. Kyle joined the team on May 21, and Lynch was later cleared to return to Nashville on June 1.